HA! Why can’t I get that simple, age-old rule from ancient photo wisdom figured out? Because kids are endlessly fascinating. And unpredictable. And chaotic. And that’s good fun. I also think I’m attracted to shooting kids because I grew up so fast and am now starting slowly to regress to a second childhood. At least that’s a goal. And although I’ve shot kids all over the world in various cultures, becoming a parent really gave me a heightened awareness of the curious child mindset. I love to try to imagine what they are imagining. But today we are launching a special edit called “CHILDHOOD” on Menuez Archive Projects and featuring a tight edit from our archive of some favorite shots of children. You can read about it on the Stockland Martel blog here and see it by clicking the link or image below.

I’m very happy to announce that we’ve just uploaded 1000 new sports images on Menuez Archive Projects. Take a look at a tight edit called “Performance” here: Menuez Archive Projects Home As we move past the sweltering summer, grateful to finally have working AC, it’s time for new work to go up at Menuez Archive Projects. We’ve done some really cool edits and will be posting a new edit every week for the next 8 weeks. Check out Stockland Martel’s new blog about the first batch of sports images called “Performance” here: Doug Menuez on capturing “the soul of sport” « Stockland Martel

I’m delighted to announce I will be teaching again at the Santa Fe Photo Workshops this winter AND you can win it (or another of your choice) by entering the first ever Santa Fe Photo Workshop Contest. The theme is “FAMILY” and the deadline is September 15, with $14,000 in prizes! Crazy, I know. Let’s go! Photography Contest | Santa Fe Photographic Workshops Santa Fe, New Mexico

My new workshop is called “The Human Experience: Making a Difference with Your Photographs,” February 13-19, 2011. It’s about how to take your personal projects and give them structure and creating synergistic funding opportunities, how to do traditional and self-published books, new models for distribution and marketing and non profits and all that good stuff, more details soon. But I want to find photographers who are trying to make images that are meaningful and help them find ways to realize their projects. Not easy!

Will the human race be subsumed by self-aware computers as they gain super intelligence and take over the planet? This is the “Terminator” type scenario envisioned as somehow a happy thing by the fans of the future melding of man and machine known as the Singularity. Are we falling into a trap with our misplaced faith that computers are somehow able to replicate human experience? Does this mean Facebook and other social databases demean and diminish human randomness and experience? Are we willingly destroying our individuality in favor of a borg-like hive mind noosphere cult?

Yeah, kind of, yes, to all of the above, according to Jaron Lanier, the multi-talented scientist who lead the development of virtual reality among other projects. His recent book, “You Are Not a Gadget” is a thoughtful argument against the rising tide of mob mentality and misplaced faith in technology and computers that is destroying our individual humanity. It’s an incredibly eye-opening read I highly recommend. He’s not against the internet or new technology. He is carefully constructing an argument in favor of deeper thought, awareness and planning to prevent mob rule and the loss of our humanity.

Will humanist concerns guide technology development to leverage our brains with better tools, not supplanting them? Yes, perhaps if enough people read this book.